A typical modern tube rack for laboratory tubes is designed to contain a number of laboratory tubes that have a discrete marker in the form of a bar code, usually a 2-D matrix code, on the bottom of the individual tubes. This bar code identifies the individual laboratory tube from others in the rack or in a series of racks containing marked laboratory tubes.
In addition, the rack itself will likely have a bar code visible from the underside of the rack that may be a classic linear bar code or a 2-D bar code in a matrix format. The modern tube rack is divided into compartments for vertically retaining the tubes, with an aperture at the bottom of each compartment to permit viewing of the barcode on the bottom end of the tubes. In this specification the term, “bar code,” includes both linear and two-dimensional barcodes, as well as other bar-code-like markings that can be read and interpreted by electronic means. In a well-equipped laboratory the reader may comprise a sophisticated scanner or optical reader that reads the bar codes of racks placed on a glass platen or deck aperture for viewing the underside of a single rack or multiple racks. An example of such scanner means is disclosed in patents and published applications of this inventor as a joint inventor of such devices. However, in many situations in the health care and medical industries, such sophisticated scanner devices suitable for a well-equipped laboratory are too costly or too large for practical use in clinics and field operations. This is particularly true for low-volume laboratories or operations in the field where such costly equipment is not available.
In this invention the means for retrieving bar codes includes a cell phone camera to capture the bar codes and a software program or programs to interpret the captured codes. If advantageous, the software program or programs provides a human readable output returned to the user for review and inventory cataloging.